Did you know that the UK is currently the largest contributor to food waste in Europe? Throwing away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in just one year. (https://www.businesswaste.co.uk)
Food wastage has huge implications for our planet and population in both an environmental and social aspect, whether that is food insecurity, climate change or the sustainability of agriculture. When food is wasted it's not just the meal that is lost, it's also a waste of energy that it took to grow, process and cook that food. This waste once in landfill then contributes to CO2 emissions. At QE Facilities we understand the importance of reducing food waste within our catering departments. As part of our ongoing focus on managing food waste the catering team wish to share some current innovation and plans to raise awareness within Gateshead Health.
Below are just a few actions we are currently working towards or launching within our business
· A new food waste management program to be implemented to ensure all food waste is recorded and monitored via a report weekly and monthly.
· 4 areas to record food waste to ensure these reports are specific to precise parts of our business ( plate waste, prep waste, spoilage and unserved meals)
· A new meal ordering system to enable a more specific meal planner for production teams
· A reduction of all disposables where possible to aid the overall waste collection within the trust
· A new chef special and flexible menu choices to reduce food production waste
· Continued focus with regular focus groups and ideas to aid food waste reduction